My local cafe has banned children – how pathetic

Children enrich public spaces, teaching us to care and be kind, writes Anita Slater

Children should feel welcome in spaces like cafes, where they can observe the daily ups and downs of community life (Getty)

My local cafe, known for cosy hot chocolates and weekend catch-ups over carrot cake, made the decision last week to ban children under five. A misleading placard outside states that children are “welcome” in the cafe – but only from 7am-noon on weekdays and 8am-10am on weekends.

The ban discriminates against parents, who are likely sleep-deprived and struggling with the sense of isolation that too often accompanies parenthood. I’m not a parent myself but I support the right of parents to share cafes, not simply because parents and carers deserve a break, but because children enrich public spaces, teaching us to care and be kind.

I admit that I have regularly tensed at the sound of children screaming over dropped socks as I try to meet a deadline over coffee. As a freelance writer, I spend a great deal of time fretting over work in cafes and can understand that people who use these spaces to relax or work deserve peace as well. However, a ban like this assumes that children only exist to be disruptive or troublesome. This kind of attitude doesn’t create a peaceful environment.